Vertical hydraulic conductivity of soil and potentiometric surface of the Missouri River alluvial aquifer at Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas — August 1992 and January 1993

Abstract

The Missouri River alluvial aquifer in the Kansas City metropolitan area is the only aquifer in the area capable of supplying large quantities of ground water. Hydrogeologic data for the Missouri River alluvial aquifer at Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, were compiled from existing data into a regional geographic information system. The vertical hydraulic conductivity of soil was used to identify areas of the aquifer susceptible to surface contamination. The vertical hydraulic conductivity ranges from 0.002 to 0.152 meter per hour. Areas of vertical hydraulic conductivity between 0.023 and 0.043 meter per hour are greatest in extent. Large areas with vertical hydraulic conductivity greater than 0.043 meter per hour occur in conjunction with industrial land use within the Kansas City metropolitan area. Two potentiometric-surface maps of the aquifer were developed from synoptic water-level measurements collected from 187 wells during August 17 to 22, 1992, and from 155 wells during January 18 to 22, 1993. During these periods the Missouri River gained water from the aquifer and ground water flowed away from the valley walls, toward the river, and down the river valley. Under conditions of nearly equal pumping rates at active well fields, induced recharge from the river into the aquifer caused cones of depression at well fields near the river to be smaller than cones of depression around well fields located some distance from the river.